For the first time since 2015, Batman and Robin, specifically Bruce and Damian, are putting their capes on together with the launch of the new Batman and Robin series. From writer Joshua Williamson, artist Simone Di Meo, and letterer Steve Wands, the new series sees the pair come together as allies while The Gotham War rages around them. The inaugural issue puts the strained relationship between Bruce and Damian on full display, showcasing that this series will be as much about father and son as it is about Batman and Robin.
After their brief reunion during Batman #137, Bruce and Damian are now together delivering some old-school Gotham justice while the rest of the Bat-Family try and make peace with Catwoman during the ongoing Gotham War crossover.
What’s so great about the opening issue is that you don’t need to know any of that. Williamson does a great job of giving you the long and the short of it as quickly and effortlessly as possible. He wastes no time, jumping right into a set stage for readers to understand. A single father and his teenage son, who aren’t getting along great, move in together to start a new chapter of their lives. Oh, also, they wear capes and beat up bad guys.
DC Comics
Williamson gives the series’ emotional core space to breathe in the issue. Batman and Robin is the story of a father and son struggling to understand one another during such a period of change, especially as Bruce wants to enroll Damian back into high school so he can experience the youth he never had. While still full of action, the heart of the story rings clearly through the opening issue.
And full of action it is. Artist Di Meo performs at a next-level tempo, giving readers a visual feast of colour and activity. Di Meo combines dynamic movements with clear and crisp lines to create a one-of-a-kind style. Every panel is full of kinetic energy, whether the slight blurs added for movement or the unique angles taken for action shots.
The pages can often feel overwhelming as various colors populate a scene, and panel layouts cross and zig-zag through pages. But it isn’t overwhelming by mistake; it’s a deliberate choice to put the reader in the middle of the story and feel the action. Which makes the pauses and slower-tempo moments feel even more impactful. All this is paired with the tremendous colors and lighting Di Meo brings in. The mornings feel warm and golden, the evenings cool and blue. Di Meo brings a genuinely dynamic sense of color to the world, elevating the entire package and making it feel like you are experiencing something unique.
DC Comics
On top of all that, letterer Wands is having a great time tying the whole thing together. It can sometimes be easy for readers to accidentally overlook the incredible letterers working in the industry today, as their job often goes unnoticed when done well. But their job is vital to understanding and translating a comic’s story. Wands effortlessly ties Di Meo’s flowing panels together in an easy-to-read stream while punching up the right moments when needed. Truly, Wands is the cherry on top of a book already speeding out of the gates.
If there is a gripe to find, it’s only that the overarching villain is teased predictably. We get a bit of inner dialogue, some teaser panels, and a final tag to let you know there are bigger things at work behind the scenes. It’s elements seen before in other first issues trying to give readers a hook to return. It’s not bad, but it may ring familiar for some readers.
However, readers will likely forgive any mild shortcomings when a book looks and feels as good as this one. The story wastes no time setting up our characters and where they are emotionally. The book gives us some truly excellent visuals, making Batman and Robin feel like the well-oiled father-and-son team we want them to be. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s full of heart. Batman and Robin #1 will hit the mark for readers who’ve been missing that classic dynamic duo relationship.
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